Lady Tide Softball Splits with Clarion-Limestone To End Regular Season Play

CLARION – On the final day of the regular season, the Curwensville Area High School softball team split a double-header with Clarion Limestone on Wednesday. The Lady Tide suffered from one bad inning in the opening game for a 5-3 loss, but bounced back with a vengeance in game two, 13-1.

Curwensville (9-10) jumped to a 3-0 lead in game one by the third inning. Bethany Carns singled home the first run in the second after Kealy Wassil reached on an error. Two runs scored in the third inning when Megan McCartney doubled in Tierra Shope and Alaina Stiles, who both singled earlier.

However, that momentum slipped away in the fifth as the Lady Lions scored five runs on three hits. Shope came inside too far on the frame’s first two batters and hit both to put them aboard. Emilie Miller and Tabatha Switzer drove runs in on back-to-back doubles. The inning continued with Emily Hawthorn singling, and an error on the infield that allowed the final run to score for the 5-3 advantage.

“We just gave the first one away in the fifth inning,” stated head coach Allen Leigey. “Fortunately, we didn’t let the loss get to us and the girls bounced back in the second game.”

The Lady Tide did close the doors quickly on Clarion-Limestone in game two. The Lady Lions managed just seven base runners in the nightcap, and one run in the third inning.

The difference in the second game came at the plate for Curwensville. The Lady Tide tallied 17 hits among their 13 runs while striking out just three times. Shope paced the Black and Gold with a 4-for-4 effort at the plate. Stiles Wassil, Melanie Milliron and Riley Young collected two hits each in the win.

As the host team in the second contest, Curwensville actually trailed to start the bottom of the third inning, 1-0. However, lead-off hitter Abby Dugo started the hit parade with a single that opened the flood gates for five runs in the inning. The Lady Tide added eight runs in the bottom of the fourth on eight hits to end the game after the top of the fifth via the mercy rule.

Curwensville will now await the post-season schedule that will be posted this weekend. It is likely that the Lady Tide will draw Redbank Valley in the single quarterfinal match-up to be played next week.